Autotrader Surges into New Decade with Bold Solutions to Help Personalize Consumer Experience, Increase Dealer Profit

With the NADA Show 2020 on the horizon, Autotrader is taking the lead with bold new solutions to improve consumers’ online car-shopping experiences and increase a dealer’s return on investment. As a digital retailing pioneer and one of the most-used third-party car listing sites, Autotrader drives into the new decade prioritizing product innovation and introducing enhancements that make the consumer experience seamless and personalized, ultimately delivering more quality leads and higher profits to dealers.

Autotrader’s newest enhancements focus on providing a more relevant and engaging online experience for car shoppers, while helping dealers take a data-driven, personalized approach toward accomplishing their goals. From implementing a search fueled by a proprietary and data-driven relevancy algorithm, to reducing page load time and improving site navigation, to introducing more helpful tools, content and personalized inventory listings, now shoppers can view the most relevant dealer inventory at a faster, more engaging rate on Autotrader, and dealers can better connect with in-market shoppers both on and off the site.

“I talk with dealers every day about how the car-shopping process is changing as consumers demand a more personalized shopping experience, so for dealers to really be successful in 2020 and beyond, they should adopt a consumer-centric approach,” said Jessica Stafford, senior vice president and general manager, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “To help in this process, Autotrader is taking the lead to ensure dealers are equipped to deliver on these evolving consumer expectations. And we are committed to more bold innovation moving forward, reducing friction from the car buying experience and continuing to bridge the gap between consumer and dealer to ensure a transparent, flexible and seamless experience for both sides of the transaction.”

Over the last year, Autotrader has gone through an aggressive transformation to improve its website and products, building a stellar consumer experience and delivering more value for its dealer clients with new advanced solutions. There is a focus on gathering quality, vetted leads to real potential customers, driving higher profits and close rates than Autotrader’s top competitors – an average 71% increase in gross profits per lead than the closest competitor¹.

Some Autotrader enhancements slated for 2020 include:

• Innovative Display Solutions:
  • Increase Offsite Exposure with Advanced Ads – Advanced Ads give dealers additional exposure for their inventory with offsite retargeting display ads served to consumers based on their Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book shopping history, also leveraging these trusted brands in partnership with the dealer’s brand to provide shopper confidence. Shoppers see relevant inventory in these offsite ads that drive additional activity to vehicle detail pages and dealer websites, increasing repeat exposure with highly qualified audiences off the Autotrader website. Available as an add-on to any paid listing package, Advanced Ads offer a lower-cost and targeted offsite media display option, allowing dealers to be in control by setting their spend and targeting, as well as prioritizing which inventory to display.
  • Target Shoppers Throughout Their Journey with eLot – eLot is a new inventory carousel display unit that features a dealer’s most relevant inventory with exclusive placements on the homepage and other pages within the experience of both Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. Targeting real-time shoppers during their valuation process, eLot increases impact and exposure by displaying the most relevant inventory available to the right consumers throughout their shopping journey.
• Optimize Relevant Inventory Display in Real-Time with Adaptive Analytics – The nVision dashboard is an industry-leading tool that uses aggregated proprietary Cox Automotive data to empower dealers with actionable insights to maximize their Autotrader investments. nVision helps dealers improve their business by driving more relevant leads and conversions with detailed insights into important factors like inventory age, pricing, penetration and likelihood to sell. Real-time inventory data drives insights to allow dealers to go beyond just reporting on their past digital investments, helping them to make optimizations to drive the best results.
• Cutting-Edge Listing Enhancements That Deliver Results
  • Never Miss a Lead with Managed Chat and Text: With managed chat and optimized text capabilities on Autotrader, dealers can ensure they never miss a lead and engage with consumers in the way they want with seamless integration. Shoppers are looking to quickly get the answers they need to help make informed decisions. Adding mobile messaging can increase consumer engagement up to 40%². New features allow consumers to contact dealers directly on Autotrader, around-the-clock, seven days a week, for ultimate flexibility and convenience. The service provides a response with professionally trained agents, including after-hours or when dealers otherwise would be unavailable. Leads are then delivered directly to a dealer’s CRM for easy follow-up. Anticipate the types of information car shoppers want and send it to them on the channel they prefer with this leading improvement in proactive customer service.
  • Search Listings On Command: Listings on Autotrader are now available through a new voice app for Google Assistant and Alexa to aid shoppers in finding the right vehicle on devices they already are using. More than 111 million people in the U.S. use a voice assistant at least monthly³. This is another way Autotrader is giving dealers opportunities to extend the reach of listings, by getting in front of more consumers in more places.
• Embrace High-Performance Digital Retailing with Accelerate: Autotrader’s Accelerate My Deal provides the faster digital buying experience consumers want with the control and profitability that dealers need. With Accelerate, dealers can start to pencil deals right from their Autotrader listings online with the flexibility they need to complement their existing dealership process. Seven in 10 consumers say they are more likely to buy from a dealership if they could start the process online⁴. Consumers are happier to begin the process online and reduce the time spent in dealership, and dealers gain a new way to connect with in-market shoppers and ultimately sell more cars.

The 2020 NADA Show will be held February 14-17, 2020, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. To learn more about these new products and enhancements, visit Autotrader at the 2020 NADA Convention and Expo, booth # 2536 Central Hall.

For more information and news from Autotrader, visit press.autotrader.com, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Autotrader_com (or @Autotrader_com), Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/autotrader_com/ (or @autotrader_com), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/autotrader/, and add us on Snapchat (@Autotrader_com).

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market car shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today’s empowered car shopper looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader’s comprehensive marketing and retailing solutions allow consumers to build their deal online, and guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com

¹ The High Cost of Poor-Quality Leads Whitepaper, November 2019
² Contact At Once
³ eMarketer U.S. Voice Assistant Users 2019 Study
⁴ 2018 Future of Digital Retail Study, Cox Automotive